Clamp for meat-slicing machines



Oct. 20,

s. R. woqo CLAMP F0! NEAT SLICING MACHINES Filed Aug. 24, 1923 2 Sheets-shoot 2 Patented Oct. 20, 1925.

UNITED STATES PATENT: OFFICE.

GEORGE RUE WOOD, OF DAYTON, OHIO, ASSIG-NOR T0 DAYTON SCALE COMPANY, OF DAYTON, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

CLAMP FOR MEAT-SLICIN G MACHINES.

Application filed August 24, 1923. Serial No. 659,029.

To (ZZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE R. VVoon, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Dayton, in the county of Montgomery and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Clamps for Meat-Slicing Machines, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact de scription.

This invention relates to an improved clamp for meat slicing machines.

The invention has for its object the provision of a clamp which will not be subject to the defects of clamps now in use and one in which the various adjustments may be carried out with facility.

A further and more detailed object of the present invention resides in the provision of a clamp in which a single handle is employed which may be displaced to one position for elevating and lowering the clamp and which when displaced to another position will advance the clamp into the meat. A further object resides in the provision of aretaining means or look of positive type for retaining the clamp-in the position to which it has been advanced by the handle.

A further object resides in the provision of .a novel driving connection intermediate the clamp and meat posts.

A further object of the present invention resides in the provision of a meat clamp which may be readily slid up and down upon the supporting posts without interference.

A further object of the present invention resides in the provision of improved and positive actuating means for advancing the clamp into cooperation with the meat.

A-further object of the invention resides in the provision of a lock for automatically retaining the clamp in elevated position.

Further objects and advantages will be hereinafter set forth in the accompanying specification and claims and in the drawings which by way of illustration portray a preferred embodiment of the invention.

In the drawings,

Fig. 1 is a back elevational view with the clamp in position upon the guide posts of a slicing machine.

Fig. 2 is a top plan view'of the clamp.

Fig. 3 is an end view. Fig. 1 is'a detail section taken on line l-l of F ig'. 2, showing the spring plunger locking pin.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged back elevation of the handle structure with cover plate removed to show the pawl and ratchet mechanism.

Fig. 6 is a sectional view taken on line 66 of Fig. 1, showing both pawls out of engagement with the cooperating ratchet.

Fig. 7 is a similar sectional view showing the handle in displaced position with the pawls engaging the ratchet.

Fig. 8 is a front elevation view of the handle showing the retaining pawl structure.

'In Fig. 1, 10 is the meat tray of a slicing machine which is provided with the usual tines 1 1 and which carries the clamp sup porting and guiding posts 12. In place of g providing ratchet teeth upon these posts I provide them with rack teeth 13. Slidably mounted upon these posts is a cross "clamping bar 14:. Journaled in extensions at one side of theposts 12 is cross shaft 15 which has fixed adjacent its ends pinions 15*. which mesh with the rack teeth 18. These pinionsare preferably covered by cover plates 16 one of which is shown in position and the other removed in Fig. 1.

Adjacent the center the cross baris hollowed out to form a cavity 17 (Fig. 6). A handle 18 is provided with a forked end portion 19 and extends into the said cavity. The forked ends 19 of the handle receive the shaft 15 and are freely rotatable with respect thereto.

Pinned to shaft 15 at a point between the forks .19 is a ratchet 20, and disposed for cooperation with this ratchet are spring pressed feed and retaining pawls 21 and 22.

The feed pawl is carried upon a stud 28 which in turn is carriedby the forks 19. Loosely mounted on shaft 15 at one side of the ratchet 20 is a cam plate 24 having a tail portion 25 extending into a notch in the crossbar as shown in Fig. 6; The retaining pawl ispivotally mounted upon the tail portion 25. Pawls 21 and 22 carry laterally extending pins 26, 27 which respectively extend over and cooperate with the cam 24 and with camming surfaces 28 which latter surfaces are formed upon the edges of forks 19.

By swinging handle 18 to an upright vertical position as shown in Fig. 6, the cams 24 and 28 will cooperate to positively disengage both the retaining and feed pawls. Thereafter the clamp may be freely vertically displaced up or down as desired. During such displacement the pinions l5 cross shaft 15 and ratchets 20 turn idly and do not impede the displacement of the clamp. So long as the handle is maintained in vertical position the pawls will be kept out of engagement with the ratchet.

The cross bar 14 is provided with a plate 30 at one side having depending meat ongaging prongs or tines 31 (thereon. The enlarged central portion of the cross bar of the clamp is also provided with a curved plate 32 having tines 33 thereon. lVhen it is desired to engage the meat, the meat is placed inthe usual manner upon the meat tray. The clamp with the handle in vertical position (i. e. Fig. 6 or A position Fig. .7) is then brought downwardly until the tines 31, 33 engage the meat. Thereafter to firmly clamp the meat in position the handle 18 is rocked anticlockwise as shown in Fig. 7. The initial rocking of the handle causes the. retaining and feed pawls to engage the ratchet. Thereafter the further rocking of the lever rotates the cross shaft and through the racks and pinions causes the meat clamp to. be lowered to a further extent- If necessary the operator may impart several strokes to the handle, displacing it from B to O, back to B and again to 0 position (Fig. 7 Each advance of the clamp is retained and the action of.

a the clamp may be likened .to a lifting jack.

The construction of the device is such that a considerable leverage may be exerted upon the clamp to force it into the meat.

The entire control ofthe manipulation of the clamp may be secured from the handle. This enables the operator to hold the meat with one hand and manipulate the clamp handle withthe other. Such an operation is conducive to safety since the operator is not required to manipulate both a separate ratchet element and a clamp handle but may effect all manipulations by one hand and in doingso keep a positive grip upon the clamp handle.

The provision of the ratchet devices as a separate assembly on the clamping bar obviates the use of ratchet teeth on the posts themselves or the use of ratchet devices cooperating with the posts, as has been the practice heretofore. This construction together with the novel constanly engaged and interlocking driving. connections between the bar and, posts, which include the free running pinions and the rack teeth on the posts,

prevents the objectionable binding which frequently occurred with clamps in which the ratchet devices included pawls on the bar which directly cooperated with ratchet teeth upon the posts.

In using meat slicing machines it is sometimes desirable that the clamp be positively retained in upper position. For this purpose the cross bar is provided with a spring plunger 34. adapted to automatically engage a. recess 35 in one of the posts 13, when the clamp is elevated to align the plunger therewith.

Release of the lock may be effected by drawing outward upon knob 36.

In order to cover the ratchet devices I preferably provide cover plates 37 and 38 which may be secured by screws or otherwise to the handle.

I claim:

1. A meat clamp comprising in combination with the guide posts of a meat slicing machine, rack teeth thereon, a clamping bar, a shaft carried thereby, pinions upon said shaft engaging the said teeth, a ratchet upon said shaft, a handle supported by said shaft and adjacent said ratchet, a feed pawl supported by said handle and adapted to engage said ratchet, a retaining pawl also adapted to engage said ratchet, and means operable by the displacement of said handle for engaging and disengaging said pawls and ratchet and for rotating the ratchet and thereby through the pinions and racklowering said clamping bar.

2. A meat clamp for cooperation with the guide posts of a meat slicing machine, comprising a clamping bar slidable upon said posts, a handle, means operatively connected to said handle and clamping bar for effecting free unimpeded movement of said bar and said handle together in one direction, said means having provisions including constantly engaged driving connections for moving said clamping bar step by step in the opposite direction upon a relative movement of the handle with respect to the clamping bar.

3-. A meat clamp adapted for cooperation with the guide posts of a slicing machine, comprising a clamping bar, pawl and ratchet devices thereon for advancing said bar step by step, said devices being independent of and out of direct cooperation with the guide posts of the slicing machine but having controlling connections thereto, and a handle for actuating said pawl and ratchet devices to thereby advance said clamp relatively to the guide posts.

4. The invention set forth in claim 3 in which the pawl and ratchet devices include retaining pawls for preventing retrograde movement of the bar after the same has been advanced by the feeding pawl.

for disabling the connection from said handle to said driving connections.

6. A meat clamp adapted for cooperation with the guide posts of a slicing machine and including a clamping bar incombinw tion with pawl and toothed ratchet means out of direct cooperation with the guide posts for advancing the bar and retaining the same in advanced position, and a displaceable handle having dual provisions for either effecting advancing operations of the aforesaid means or for effecting the complete disengagement of the pawl devices to permit the free displacement of the bar relatively to the guide posts.

7. A meat clamp adapted for cooperation with the guide posts of a slicing machine I and including a clamping bar in combination with means for adjusting said bar vertically relatively to said guide posts, said means including a unitary handle having provisions including interlocking connections to the guide posts for ratcheting said bar downwardly by back and forth movements thereof, said handle also having provisions operated thereby upon the displacement of the same to a predetermined position for releasing the clamping bar from cooperation with the advancing devices to permit unimpeded lowering or raising of said bar.

8. In a meat clai'np, in combination, a

clamping bar, a handle, a rotatable ratchet adapted upon the operation thereof to advance the clamping bar, a feed pawl and a retaining pawl cooperating with said ratchet, means operated by said handle when 'in one position for displacing the feed pawl into cooperation with the ratchet, and means operative when the handle is in another position for displacing the retaining pawl out of cooperation with the ratchet.

9. A meat clamp adapted for cooperation With the guide posts upon a slicing machine, comprising a clamping bar, ratchet means and feeding and retaining pawl devices for advancing said clamping bar relatively to said posts and retaining the same in advanced position, a manually operable member and means operated thereby for actuating said feeding pawl and allowing said retaining pawl to be displaced to re taining position, and means operable by said member when in a different position for displacing said feeding and retaining pawls out of cooperation with said ratchet member for the purpose described.

10. In a meat clamp adapted for cooperation with the guideposts of a slicing machine, in combination, a clamping bar, an operating handle therefor, means operated by said handle for advancing the clamping bar step by step, and independent means for retaining said clamping barin any of its advanced positions.

11. A clamp for a meat slicing machine including a pair of posts carried by the slicing machine, a clamping bar slidable on said posts, gearing intermediate the posts and clamping bar, and a handle associated with the clamping bar for actuating said gearing to advance the clamping bar.

12. A clamp for a slicing machine comprising guide posts and a clamping b'ar geared thereto by gearing connections, a

handle connected to the clamping bar, and

ing bar, a handle for actuating said geared driving connections and means for operatively disconnecting said handle and said driving connections to permit movement of the clamp independently of the drive of said connections by said handle.

14:. In a meat clamp for a slicing machine having a pair of guide posts, a clamping bar, geared driving connections from said bar to both of said posts, ahandle', driving connections intermediate said handle and the aforesaid geared driving connections, and means for selectively engaging or disengaging said last mentioned driving connections.

15. In a meat clamp for a slicing machine having guide posts thereon to slidably receive said clamp, a clamping bar freely slidably mounted upon both of said posts, and a spring plunger adapted to engage a recess in said guide posts when the clamping bar is elevated to a predetermined position.

16. A meat clamp for a slicing machine comprising a clamping bar, guide posts slidably supporting the same, and means for automatically locking said guide posts and clamping bar together to prevent the descent of the clamping bar upon said posts, said locking means being ineffective when the clamping bar is below a predetermined position.

17. A meat clamp adapted for cooperation with the guide posts of a slicing machine comprising in combination, a clamping bar, means in constant interlocking engagement with the guide posts for effecting either a relative downward movement of the clamping bar with respect to said posts or for retaining the clamping bar in fixed position relative thereto, and a handle means for effecting the advance of said last mentioned means or the release of the same for the purpose described.

18. A meat clamp adapted for cooperation with the guide posts of a slicing machine comprising in combination, a clamp ing bar slidable upon the guide posts, means in constant interlocking engagement with the guide posts for eti'ecting a movement of the bar relative to the posts and for look ing the same in position with respect thereto and a single handle device variously displaceable to efiect unlocking of the operating connections or the locking of the same for the purpose described.

19. A meat clamp adapted for cooperation with the rude osts ot a slicing machine t) 0 comprising in combination, a clamping bar slidable upon the guide posts, means in constant interlocking engagement with the guide posts for effecting a movement of the bar relative to the posts and for locking the same in position with respect thereto and a. single handle device variably displaceable to effect an advancing movement of the operating connections and the subsequent locking of the same together with the unlocking of said connections for the purpose described.

20. A meat clamp adapted for cooperation with the guide posts of a slicing machine comprising in combination, a clamping bar slidable upon the guide posts, means in constant interlocking engagement with the guide posts for effecting a movement of the bar relative to the posts and for locking the same in position with respect thereto and a single handle device having means operative upon the variable displacement thereof to eifect alternatively either the looking or unlocking of said connections.

21. A meat clamp adapted for cooperation with the guide posts of a slicing machine comprising in combination, a clamping bar,

constantly interengaged driving connections intermediate said bar and the guide posts, an operating handle displaceable from one position to another, and means operative with said handle in one position for positively locking the clamping bar to said cooperating guide posts, said means being disabled and rendered inefiiective to permit free unimpeded lowering or raising movement of the clamping bar with respect to the guide posts when the handle is displaced to another position. r

22. A meat elampadapted for cooperation with the guide posts of a slicing machine comprising a clamping bar, an operating handle displaceable from one position to another, constantly interengaged driving connections intermediate said bar and the guide posts, means operative with the handle in one position for locking the clamping bar to the cooperating guide posts, means operative with said handle displaced to another position for disabling and rendering ineffective said locking means to prevent free un impeded lowering and raising movement of said clamping bar by said handle, and means operative upon the displacement oi said handle from one position to another for inrparting a step by step movement of advance of said clan'iping bar 'elative to said guide posts.

23. A meat clamp adapted for cooperation with the guide posts ota slicing machine comprising in combination, a clamping bar slidable upon said posts, an operating meeh-' anism constantly connected to said posts for positively and variably advancing said clamping bar relative thereto, a unitary means for effecting the advance of said mechanism or the release of the same for advancing or permitting lowering or raising of the bar.

24. A meat clamp adapted for cooperation with the guide posts of a slicing machine comprising a clamping bar slidable upon said posts, constantly engaged driving connections intermediate the posts and the clamping bar adapted, upon operation, to advance the clamping bar and adapted,-upon being locked, to lock said clamping bar, a

handle associated with said clamping bar,

and means controlled by the position of the handle for effecting free running of said driving connections or for locking the same as desired.

A meat clamp adapted for cooperation with the guide posts of a slicing machine comprising a clamping bar slidable upon said posts, constantly engaged driving connections intermediate the posts and the clampingbar adapted, upon operation, to advance the clamping bar and adapted, upon being locked, to lock said clamping bar, av handle associated with said clamping bar, and means controlled by said handle for etfecting a step by step advancing of said driving connections or for locking the same and retaining the clamping bar in any advanced position.

In testimony whereof I hereto atlix my signature.

GEORGE RUE XVOOD'. 

